


Not the End

by darkangel86



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Extended Scene, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt Tony Stark, Panic Attacks, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-29 07:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15724734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkangel86/pseuds/darkangel86
Summary: Tony sat, motionless, eyes unblinking and staring off into actual, literal, space.





	Not the End

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this directly after seeing Infinity War back in April but didn't think it was worth posting. Thought I'd try my luck now.

Tony sat, motionless, eyes unblinking and staring off into actual, literal, space.

He'd survived. For the moment. But why? Why had he survived? The fuck was the point of it all? What gave him the right to live when... and fuck, no. Not Peter. Not the kid. What kind of fucked up universe were they living in where he lived and the kid died?! 

Tony shuddered. He blinked, the tears in his eyes finally falling as he attempted to take in a much needed deep breath. Behind him, the blue lady screamed. Tony flinched.

“What are you doing?” He asked as he turned to look at her.

“Thanos is gone. Your friends are dead. We're stuck here until I can fix my ship.” She replied and Tony felt like he'd gotten the wind knocked out of him all over again at her words.

Dead.

They were all dead. Oh god. Why? Why did he have to come? Why couldn't he have just listened and gone home?! Tony surged upward as the voice in his head screamed question after question at him.

Home. Tony had to get home. He turned, mouth dropping open with a command for Friday on the tip of his tongue before he realized it would fall on deaf ears. Friday was gone too. Along with his suit and his way home.

“Fuck!” Tony shouted, kicking a discarded piece of debris in front of him.

“Does that help?” The woman behind him asked, startling Tony out of his thoughts. He turned quickly, raising his hand where his gauntlet should have been. _Shit_. Tony thought. He was completely defenseless, with someone he didn't know from Adam. 

“Does what help?” Tony asked, crossing his arms defensively over his chest even as he took a step further away from her.

“The yelling. And kicking. Does it help with the pain?” She asked and Tony sagged as the fight in him suddenly drained out of him.

“No.” He answered as he dropped back down onto the sand, cradling his head in his hands. He felt the bile as it rose up in the back of his throat.

“Then why do it?” The woman asked and Tony snorted.

“Its a human thing. A reaction. We get upset or mad and we kick shit.” Tony explained, knowing exactly how dumb it sounded.

“That makes no sense.” Nebula said, cocking her head to the side as she took in the strange little man as he sat in the sand. She'd never understood humans. Their ways were pointless and often reckless. Not that she had room to talk herself. She'd commandeered a ship after escaping her Father's capture only to fly straight to him and for what? Her sister was dead. She hadn't been fast enough. It was her fault that Gamora was gone.

“Uh, who are you exactly?” The man asked her and she turned to face him, a frown on her face.

“Nebula.” She replied and Tony sighed.

“Yes, and who exactly is Nebula?” Tony asked and watched as the woman? Machine? Both? Recoiled in front of him.

“I am the daughter of Thanos.” She answered truthfully and Tony suddenly found it impossible to breathe. Thanos. No. Not again. He couldn't do it again. He couldn't lose, couldn't lose... but he'd already lost him and Tony nearly cried out at that. Peter was gone and it was his fault. 

“If you're going to kill me, just get it over with.” Tony finally said once he was able to catch his breath.

“Kill you?” Nebula asked, confused and Tony could have cried. He couldn't do this. He wouldn't survive any more torture. He'd been through enough. He'd lost too much. He was stuck on an alien planet with the daughter of Thanos with no suit and no way home. He was already dead.

“Yeah, uh, I'd prefer a fast death if I get the choice.” Tony admitted, completely defeated.

“I'm not going to kill you.” Nebula said and the air in Tony's lungs froze.

“Why not?” He found himself asking, wincing, because yes, that's exactly what you do when the possibly murderous lady says she's not going to kill you. You question her. _Christ, Tony_. He scolded himself.

“Because. I do not do that anymore.” Nebula said as plainly as she could.

“Anymore?” Tony questioned. “So you've killed before?” He asked for some reason.

“I am the daughter of Thanos. Yes, I've killed before.” She admitted almost sadly Tony thought.

“But... you don't do that stuff anymore?” Tony asked, curiously.

“No.” Nebula said and Tony, once again, breathed a sigh of relief. “Now, do you want to go home or do you want to rot on this planet?” She asked and Tony frowned.

“Uh, I vote home, which is planet Earth but how-” Tony stopped as he looked just behind Nebula to her wrecked ship. Huh. Well, he was a genius after all. If anyone could figure out how to fix an alien space ship and fly it back home, it was Tony fucking Stark. And, apparently, also Nebula, daughter of Thanos.

“I know enough that I should be able to get this ship back in working in order a week, possibly two, if I am able to find the necessary parts.” Nebula said and beside her, Tony scoffed.

“I'll forgive you for not knowing who I am this time but lady, I can promise you, it won't take more than a day, maybe two, to get this ship back in the air with me around.” Tony proclaimed, smugly.

“And who, exactly, are you?” She asked, her head once again cocked to the side in confusion.

“Tony Stark, at your service.” He said with a wink and slight bow. In the back of his mind a voice screamed that he had no right to act this way, not so soon after losing Peter but Tony pushed through, ignoring the voice. He had a job to do and he was damn well going to do it. He had to get home. He had to warn them that Thanos was coming. Or maybe he was already there and everyone he loved was dead. Maybe Tony's nightmare would finally come to fruition. For a second, Tony closed his eyes, sighing as he prayed to whatever God was listening, that he made it home alive and in time to help his friends. He couldn't lose someone else. He wouldn't.

“Well then, Tony Stark, let's get to work.” Nebula said as she turned to face the wreckage of her ship. Maybe this human could be of some assistance after all. She was going to need all the help she could get to avenge her sisters death and if how she'd seen him react before, when the boy had faded away in his arms, then he was just the person to help her.

Silently they both agreed; they would defeat Thanos or they would gladly die trying.

**Author's Note:**

> I made myself cry when I wrote this. Ridiculous.


End file.
